Expansion of Vehicle Impound Law on Denver Ballot

I didn't realize Denver was having an election this November until I got my ballot in the mail. I almost didn't open it, but now I'm glad I did. The only item on the ballot is an initiative mandating police seize your vehicle if you are stopped and don't have a valid driver's license.

Aimed at undocmented residents (referred to as illegal aliens in the initiative), it has a far greater reach. Here's the text on Initiative 300.

What if you left your wallet at home? Unless you have have "convincing corrorborating identification," proof of insurance and a valid driver's license of record, your car will be impounded. If you have these things with you, you will get a summons and have ten days to bring your license to court. If you miss the ten days, your vehicle will be ordered impounded.

What if your license is expired? It gets impounded and you have 20 days to get it renewed. If your vehicle is impounded, you will have 30 days to post a $2,500. bond (and pay a $200.00 impound fee) to get it released. The city keeps the bond for a year, and if an unlicensed driver is found to operate your car, you lose the car and the bond.

287(g) scares victims and witnesses of crimes to avoid contacting police for fear of being mistreated. 287(g) invites exploitation by those who know that they won’t be reported to police, because it combines the contradictory duties into the same police force.

What is the result? A sweep of terror that has frightened legal and undocumented immigrants into hiding, undermining both law enforcement efforts across our country. 287(g) programs undermine the spirit and text of the U.S. Constitution, and I encourage Congress to repeal 287 (g).

Completed petitions for the extraterrestrial affairs initiative were turned in to the Denver Elections Division September 4, 2009. The Division completed signature verification on September 29, 2009, and deemed the petition insufficient. Proponents have until November 2, 2009 to cure the insufficiency by turning in additional valid signatures.

If all these ballot questions pass, the Extraterritorial Affairs Commission will not be happy to learn that visitors from other planets will immediately have their vehicles impounded for lack of driver's licenses - this is no way to treat our visitors from other galaxies! Is it too late to amend the impoundment rule to get around this problem?

because it is summarily imposing a penalty. I am sure that police there like anywhere DO impound plenty of cars when they find an unlicensed driver. If you have a friend with you that is licensed, or can get a friend over to get the car quickly, they will let the friend take the car.

However, this proposal seems to go beyond the question of "what do you do with a stopped car and no one to drived it", which is the normal reason for the tow. This is clearly meant to be a penalty.

A (born in the USA white) guy I know owns a truck big enough to carry his 40' boat. He was recently stopped by the CHP to check his license, and, sure enough, he didn't have the right one. His truck and boat went straight to the impound, no 10 day grace period.

If you don't have a license, how can a cop reasonably allow you to drive?

Jeralyn really cracked me up with that "His parents need to buy him a car." when she found out a new local blogger rode a bike. Jeralyn is sweet, but she has some serious tunnel vision when it comes to transportation. I've walked, ridden a bicycle even on the side of 55 mph roads, taken the bus, the subway, the train, even flown a few times. (If you talk to certain folks, they'll tell you cars are the problem, not the solution. Wild eyed radicals.)

either Fabian, when I need a carton of milk I much rather walk around the corner or rock the old skateboard...but I find the public transport 'round here is too lacking to go without a whip, and the lacking public transport would end up about costing about the same believe it or not...the LIRR is a big rip-off, only to be used when I know I'm gonna get stewed:)

I see a proposed law like this and all I can see are the hassles good people will have to go through to get their expensive property back, property their livelyhoods likely depend on, if their licence isn't in good standing, or they don't have one for whatever reason...not everybody without a good standing license is a chronic drunk-driver after all.

And for what purpose exactly? The illusion of orderly roadways? I really don't know. It's a proposed "cure" without a disease to be found that I can see.

It is the responsibility of the driver to make sure
that their license is in order. For that matter, it is there responsibility to have a license in order to drive a car. If there is a problem with their license, or they choose to drive without a license, any problems that person runs into is that persons own fault.

what good is seizing more cars gonna do? If the city needs more revenue, which is what this kinda stuff is often really about, be honest about it and raise taxes...don't impound cars, thats Sherriff of Nautingham sh*t.

If its about hassling the paperless, they've got enough hassles, trust me.

as to whether or not the unlicensed can get their cars out of the impound yard, however, the Denver PD estimates the initiative would cost the city 1.6 million a year in towing and lot fees and they don't see the 'revenues' from the initiative to be nearly as much, which seems to be one of the reasons they don't support the initiative...

owner has no license. They can't get the cars out of impound w/o a license either. iow, little to no impound fee revenue collected. (Of which a big chunk goes to the owner of the impound lot and the owner of the towing company.)

for breast cancer research Komen foundation just told me the walkers are forbidden from listening to music or radio or talking on cell phone while walking. Penalty: picked up on the course and no more walking. Are the donations refunded? No.

While I am not one to walk or ride wrapped up in my own little world, I do understand having something to listen to while walking.

The phones I could do without. When they figure out technology that keeps others from hearing the yakkers, then they can have them.

Kindergarten son went a half an hour pitching a fit because he couldn't have Mommy's camera (the kids have a Vtech to mess with) while we were walking in the metropark. Three women passed us, phones to ears and each time I wanted I felt absolutely no shame if his noise inconvenienced them in any way. Sooooo not my problem.

She ended up with severe injuries to her feet that required months of physical therapy. Her boss walked with her. She ended up with stress fracture to the shin bone. I have no idea why SGK can't make it a 6 mile hike...I would have donated the same amount of money.